


Wait For Me

by akaatsuki



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-10-09 13:58:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17408186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akaatsuki/pseuds/akaatsuki
Summary: The other three members of the club watched in speculation as Rei stared aimlessly out of one of the tall windows of the club room, his body so still that one might have thought he’d fallen asleep standing up. His gaze was empty, searching somewhere far beyond the horizon; searching for something he’d lost and was waiting every day to find again.





	Wait For Me

It was always evident that Sakuma Rei was missing something in his life. To most people, this would show itself in the forms of incessant exhaustion, days spent solely sealed within the confines of his coffin, and generally cryptic and eccentric behavior. Many students are aware of the rumors (and witness accounts) that Rei had acted completely different in his previous year at Yumenosaki, said to be full of life and a love for dangerous, reckless behavior. Fewer students know that this was lost along with everything else that had been destroyed during that time of “war,” and even fewer know that this wasn’t the sole reason that Rei couldn’t bring himself to even get up and attend classes some days. 

The members of UNDEAD, as well as the twins who constantly made home in the Light Music club room, could attest the melancholy behavior that Rei would show sporadically. Although Koga would always mask it by yelling and kicking at the side of Rei’s coffin, he’d spoken of his fair share of concerns with Adonis (although he immediately insisted he didn’t care at all afterwards). Adonis would often run small errands for Rei while the other claimed to be too drained to move himself, more-so out of worry for the other than out of his own kindness (although, really he would’ve done it for that reason as well). Kaoru seemed breezy and had to be motivated to attend practices, but even he would “jokingly” ask Rei if he was feeling alright recently on the weeks that it seemed really bad. 

At times, the Light Music Club’s practices would exclude Rei entirely. More often than that, Rei would show up  _ physically _ , but be absent  _ mentally _ . Hinata and Yuuta would bicker with Koga and they would rehearse with their designated instruments, while Rei claimed to be “listening” to them so that he could review their performance and point out any areas of improvement. But even when Hinata intentionally messed up near the bridge, Rei said nothing, and didn’t even notice as the music came to a stop entirely. The other three members of the club watched in speculation as Rei stared aimlessly out of one of the tall windows of the club room, his body so still that one might have thought he’d fallen asleep standing up. His gaze was empty, searching somewhere far beyond the horizon; searching for something he’d lost and was waiting every day to find again. 

At times like these, the ones who knew Rei more personally would disagree that this behavior was a direct result from last year’s conflicts. 

The “Oddballs” (not-so-fondly named) knew Rei better than arguably anybody at the school, and they, too, couldn’t help but agree. On top of the events of the previous year, there was certainly something else eating away at Rei’s happiness —something that Rei himself would adamantly refuse to share with anybody. Kanata, Shu, and Natsume had only inquired him about it once, each on a separate occasion, and received no clear answer. Their inquiries stopped when Wataru, seeming to be all the wiser, told them that it was useless to pry an answer from somebody who simply didn’t want to share it. They decided collectively that perhaps it was better to leave Rei alone on the matter, trusting in him to reveal it to them if it was truly hindering his lifestyle. Natsume and Shu didn’t seem as satisfied with this conclusion, but grudgingly agreed to it for the simple fact that trying to argue with Rei was impossible in its entirety.

But even so, they all knew that they shared a pressing worry for their dear friend. Each day they hoped for Rei to confide whatever it was that was torturing him in them, and each day they were left in the darkness yet again. Shu suggested that it was just something that Rei was too pained to speak of again, and Kanata sadly bobbed his head in agreement, wondering if there was nothing left for them to do. Even Wataru’s monthly “tea date” with Rei left them always with more questions than answers. 

And so Rei continued his third year in Yumenosaki shrouded by mystery. 

The most difficult part of seeing Rei this way, both the twins and the Oddballs would say, was the way in which Rei masked what it was that was bothering him from day-to-day. He would smile at them, speak casually with them, and laugh with them, but there was a layer of distance behind it all that separated himself from his loved ones. Even if Rei was expertly covering all traces of his melancholy, it was as if it had grown so strong that it had manifested into an aura-like energy all on its own. 

The twins would indulge him in his storytelling and smile along with him, masking their own feelings of concern and sadness—sadness for the way that Rei would leave them at the end of each day with a lonely look in his deep eyes. The Oddballs would always make sure to stop by the Light Music club room when they could, even if it were only for a few minutes to make smalltalk. Rei always seemed to be in need of company, even if he was masking that need so well. It was that momentary flash of loneliness and sorrow that flickered behind his distant gaze that brought his loved ones back to him, always inwardly hoping that perhaps today Rei would confide his troubles in them. 

But of course, he never did. Something always kept him an ocean’s length away from other people; he always seemed to be stranded on a desert island, so terribly alone, with no remedy for his despair. 

It wasn’t until a scorching August afternoon that the source of Rei’s melancholy was revealed. A hot, dreary day that made the students drag their feet along the ground as they walked, and, of course, had triple the effect on Rei, who always claimed to be the mortal enemy of the sun itself. 

The Light Music club room was pleasantly air-conditioned thanks to Rei’s efforts to install such a system under the guise of the instrument’s needs over the students’ needs. It was a haven for the members of the club, who had spent their morning and afternoon classes in the relentless heat. Hinata and Yuuta had made it a habit all summer long to groan as loudly as possible with relief the moment they opened the door to the room and were hit with the wall of chilled air. Koga complained about how the only tolerable room in the school was also inhabited by the “vampire bastard” that he loathed so deeply. Rei would, as expected, lounge in the room for quite literally the entire day, relaxed and lithe in the cool air. 

Today as well, Rei had seemed to be drained by both his own melancholy and the unhelpful summer heat. He sat comfortably upon his coffin, observing as Hinata, Yuuta, and Koga played their way through their current assignment, nearly flawless after so many successful rehearsals. Although not as absent as other days, Rei still gazed off into space here and there, unable to retain his attention entirely upon the music. The other three members, having grown used to this behavior, continued their practice without interruption. The hypnotic hum of the late summer cicadas outside served as a backdrop for their activities. 

The typical summer day, uneventful and expected, was only thrown off of its tracks when the door to the club room was opened. 

Were the club expecting any visitors today, they wouldn’t have stopped playing; but all of the members were here, and UNDEAD’s practice wasn’t until the following day. And so, Rei’s daze was broken as the music faded out, and as all of them looked up to turn their attention towards the person entering the room. 

Wearing the Yumenosaki uniform, the visitor didn’t seem all too strange at first; that is, until all three of the playing musicians took a look at his face and realized they didn’t recognize him at all. His impressive build, his dark, green eyes, his tied-back brown hair, and the green tie of a third year—it was all foreign to them, and no matter how they wracked their minds for some distant memory to draw upon, they couldn’t do anything but conclude that this was someone who hadn’t been at the school until now. Koga opened his mouth to crudely ask who he was and why the hell he was interrupting their practice, but before he could manage more than three words, their heads all spin towards the sudden rush of movement from their side. 

The twins blink in confusion as they try to work out how Rei had managed to fling himself from the lid of his coffin and across the room so quickly, but find themselves even more astonished at the sight of Rei practically throwing himself into the arms of the stranger. The other student looks hardly surprised, a soft smile taking his expression as he holds Rei close to him with one arm, his other hand stroking the club president’s dark hair in a comforting gesture. His eyes are warmed with light as he looks down at Rei, as if he’d just caught a prized treasure in his arms. The rest of the Light Music club watches with blank stares as the stranger tilts his head down and murmurs something inaudible to the other, who only seems to tighten his embrace in response. 

“…What the hell is happenin’?” Koga scowls as he mutters quietly to the twins, letting his guitar fall slack as he crosses his arms over his chest. He masks his obvious confusion and curiosity with displeasure at their club practice being interrupted. 

Hinata stares at Rei and the other student for several moments longer, examining every detail of the scene. Yuuta glances towards him with a raised brow, and when Hinata returns the look, both twins break into wide grins as their eyes brighten with the light of discovery. They clasp each other’s hands and burst into synchronized laughter, looking elated. 

“The hell are you two goin’ on about?” Koga snaps inquisitively, scowling at the apparent fact that everybody’s caught on but himself. 

“Isn’t it obvious, Oogami-senpai?” Yuuta asks eagerly. “The thing that’s been missing this whole time! It’s not something as bad as we were thinking at all!” 

Hinata and Yuuta turn to look towards Koga, keeping their grins and looking as though they’d finally figured out the deepest secret of the universe. They look back towards the doorway of the club room, encouraging Koga to do the same. The strange student looks up from where he’d cast his gaze down, lifting his hand from Rei’s hair to wave at the three with a cheerful expression. Koga’s brows knit together as the twins burst into a fit of giggles again. 

“Sakuma-senpai didn’t lose anything at all!” Hinata exclaims, his eyes shining. “He’s just really,  _ really  _ in love!”

**Author's Note:**

> finally i post a madarei fic.......madarei means so so much to me, please consider them.....


End file.
